Prevalence of Avian coccidiosis in India: a review.

Coccidiosis stands as a highly significant and economically impactful parasitic ailment in poultry, attributed to the intracellular parasite belonging to the genus Eimeria. This affliction poses considerable financial challenges to the poultry industry and is prevalent in most tropical and subtropical regions globally. The primary mode of transmission is through the fecal-oral route, predominantly affecting young chicks and chickens within intensive rearing systems. There are nine distinct Eimeria species that affect poultry, manifesting primarily in caecal and intestinal forms. Diagnosis typically relies on examining fecal samples for oocysts and post-mortem lesions. Molecular techniques are employed for both diagnosis and control of poultry coccidiosis. To combat the disease, anticoccidials are consistently incorporated into feed and water, but this practice may contribute to the emergence of resistant strains. Various vaccines, including live or live attenuated options, are currently in use for coccidiosis prevention.

Dietary arginine attenuates hypoxia- induced HIF expression, metabolic responses and oxidative stress in Indian Major Carp, Cirrhinus mrigala.

Hypoxia is a common stressor in aquaculture systems, which causes severe physiological disturbances, ultimately leading to mortality or reduced productivity. Arginine, as a precursor of NO, has a role in enhancing oxygen delivery. Thus, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary arginine (Arg) in Cirrhinus mrigala exposed to hypoxia. The fish were fed with different levels of arginine for 60 days and exposed for 72 h to a sublethal level of hypoxia (0.50 ± 0.16 mg/L dissolved oxygen [DO]). The six treatment groups with three replicates were N0 (0% Arg + Normoxia), H0 (0% Arg + Hypoxia), N0.7 (0.70% Arg + Normoxia), H0.7 (0.70% Arg + Hypoxia), N1.4 (1.40% Arg + Normoxia), H1.4 (1.40% Arg + Hypoxia). Eighteen experimental units with twelve animals (5.8 ± 0.18 g) each were used for the trial.The results indicated that supplementation of arginine at 0.7 and 1.4% enhanced the hypoxia tolerance time, although the high dose (1.4%) did not yield any further increments. The exposure to hypoxia up-regulated Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF)-1α mRNA expression and supplementation of arginine significantly decreased hypoxia induced up-regulation of HIF at 1.4%. Arginine supplementation partially or completely normalised the hypoxia induced changes in the metabolic enzymes of C. mrigala. The fish exposed to hypoxic conditions exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) lipid peroxidation levels than those maintained under normoxic conditions, while arginine feeding significant in reducing lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in hypoxia-exposed carp, indicating increased oxidative stress during the hypoxic exposure, that was improved in Arg-supplemented groups. However, arginine did not modulate erythrocyte countsalthough itreduced the erythrocyte fragility. We conclude arginine supplementation is effective in ameliorating hypoxia induced metabolic alterations and improving antioxidant defences in fish.

Whole mitogenome analysis and phylogeny of freshwater fish red-finned catopra (Pristolepis rubripinnis) endemic to Kerala, India.

The freshwater leaf fish Pristolepis rubripinnis belongs to the family Pristolepididae, restricted to Pamba and Chalakudy rivers of Kerala, India. In the present study, we sequenced the complete mitogenome of P. rubripinnis and analysed its phylogeny in the order Anabantiformes. The 16622-bp long genome comprised of 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) genes and had a noncoding control region. All the protein-coding genes, tRNA and rRNA were located on the heavy strand, except nad6 and eight tRNAs (glutamine, alanine, asparagine, cysteine, tyrosine, serine, glutamic acid and proline) transcribed from L strand. The genome exhibited an overlapping between atp8 and atp6 (2 bp), nad4 and nad4l (2 bp), tRNAIle and tRNAGln. (1 bp), tRNAThr and tRNAPro (1 bp). Around 157 bp, an intergenic spacer was identified. The overall GC-skews and AT-skews of the H-strand mitogenome were -0.35 and 0.079, respectively, revealing that the H-strand consisted of equal amounts of A and T and that the overall nucleotide composition was C skewed. All tRNA genes exhibited cloverleaf secondary structures, while the secondary structure of tRNASer lacked a discernible dihydrouridine stem. The phylogenetic analysis of available mitogenomes of Anabantiformes revealed a sister group relationship between Pristolepididae and Channidae. The whole mitogenome of Pristolepis rubripinnis will form a molecular resource for further taxonomic and conservation studies on this endemic freshwater fish.

Insulin-like growth factor signalling and its significance as a biomarker in fish and shellfish research.

The insulin-like growth factor signalling system comprises insulin-like growth factors, insulin-like growth factor receptors and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins. Along with the growth hormones, insulin-like growth factor signalling is very pivotal in the growth and development of all vertebrates. In fishes, insulin-like growth factors play an important role in osmoregulation, besides the neuroendocrine regulation of growth. Insulin-like growth factor concentration in plasma can assess the growth in fishes and shellfishes and therefore widely applied in nutritional research as an indicator to evaluate the performance of selected nutrients. The present review summarizes the role of insulin-like growth factor signalling in fishes and shellfishes, its significance in aquaculture and in evaluating growth, reproduction and development, and discusses the utility of this system as biomarkers for early indication of growth in aquaculture.

Unravelling the menace: detection of antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture.

One of the major problems to be addressed in aquaculture is the prominence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The occurrence of bacterial infections in cultured fishes promotes the continuous use of antibiotics in aquaculture, which results in the selection of proliferated antibiotic-resistant bacteria and increases the possibility of transfer to the whole environment through horizontal gene transfer. Hence, the accurate cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent detection methods are very much crucial for the immediate and proper management of this menace. Antimicrobial resistance determinants carrying mobile genetic transfer elements such as transposons, plasmids, integrons and gene cassettes need to be specifically analysed through molecular detection techniques. The susceptibility of microbes to antibiotics should be tested at regular intervals along with various biochemical assays and conjugation studies so as to determine the extent of spread of AMR. Advanced omic-based and bioinformatic tools can also be incorporated for understanding of genetic diversity. The present review focuses on different detection methods to unearth the complexity of AMR in aquaculture. This monitoring helps the authorities to curb the use of antibiotics, commencement of appropriate management measures and adequate substitute strategies in aquaculture. The long battle of AMR could be overcome by the sincere implementation of One Health approach. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The use of antibiotics and increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are of major concerns in aquaculture industry. This could result in global health risks through direct consumption of cultured fishes and dissemination of AMR to natural environment through horizontal gene transfer. Hence, timely detection of the antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and continuous monitoring programmes are inevitable. Advanced microbiological, molecular biological and omic-based tools can unravel the menace to a great extent. This will help the authorities to curb the use of antibiotics and implement appropriate management measures to overcome the threat.

Dietary GABA enhances hypoxia tolerance of a bottom-dwelling carp, Cirrhinus mrigala by modulating HIF-1α, thyroid hormones and metabolic responses.

The Indian major carp, mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala), is a bottom-dwelling fish that can survive hypoxic episodes in its natural environment. We hypothesise that it can better survive hypoxic conditions by altering metabolic responses through GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) supplementation. In the first experiment, the hypoxia tolerance time of the fishes was evaluated under extreme anoxic conditions after feeding with GABA, which showed that GABA had improved survival time under hypoxia. To study the response of dietary GABA in hypoxia-exposed fish, the branchial HIF-1α expression levels, serum thyroid hormone levels and hepatic metabolic responses were assessed in the subsequent experiment. The treatment groups were fed for 60 days with experimental diets containing 4 levels of GABA (0.00% G, 0.50% G, 0.75% G and 1.0%G) and were subjected to 72-h hypoxia exposure (0.5 ± 0.02 mg L-1 dissolved oxygen (DO)) whereas a control group was maintained under normoxic conditions (6.0 ± 0.21 mg L-1 DO). The five treatment groups with three replicates were C0 (0% G + normoxia), H0 (0% G + hypoxia), H0.5 (0.50% G + hypoxia), H0.75 (0.75% G + hypoxia) and H1.0 (1.00% G + hypoxia). The results indicated that GABA supplementation triggered downregulation of HIF 1 alpha expression. When compared with the control group, decreased thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels were observed in the GABA-fed hypoxic groups. However, TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level remained unchanged in all the treatments. The LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) level in hypoxia-exposed groups was decreased by GABA supplementation. Our study demonstrated that GABA supplementation restores acute hypoxia-induced HIF-1α expression, thyroid hormone levels and LDH activities. On the other hand, it enhanced the citrate synthase (CS) activities at 0.5-1.00%, which showed a sharp decline in hypoxia. Hypoxia caused increase in the serum metabolites such as glucose, lactate, cholesterol and triglycerides. However, GABA supplementation was partially effective in reducing glucose and lactate level while triglycerides and cholesterol values remained unchanged. Overall, our results suggested a potential role of GABA in suppressing metabolism during hypoxia exposure, which can increase the chances of survival of the species Cirrhinus mrigala during hypoxia.

Community composition of marine and brackish water ammonia-oxidizing consortia developed for aquaculture application.

To mitigate the toxicity of ammonia in aquaculture systems, marine and brackish water ammonia-oxidizing bacterial consortia have been developed and are used for activation of nitrifying bioreactors integrated to recirculating aquaculture systems. To shed more light on to these biological entities, diversity of both the consortia were analyzed based on random cloning of 16S rRNA gene and ammonia-oxidizing bacterial specific amoA gene sequences. The dendrograms of representative clones on the basis of amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis generated 22 and 19 clusters for marine and brackish water nitrifying consortia, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the presence of various autotrophic nitrifiers belonging to α-, ß- and γ-Proteobacteria, anaerobic ammonia oxidizers, heterotrophic denitrifiers, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. Distribution patterns of the organisms within the two consortia were determined using the software Geneious and diversity indices were investigated using Mega 5.0, VITCOMIC and Primer 7. The abundance of ammonia oxidizers was found in the order of 2.21 ± 0.25 × 109 copies/g wet weight of marine consortium and 6.20 ± 0.23 × 107 copies/g of brackish water consortium. Besides, marine ammonia-oxidizing consortium exhibited higher mean population diversity and Shannon Wiener diversity than the brackish water counterparts.

Comparative analysis of endodontic smear layer removal efficacy of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 7% maleic acid, and 2% chlorhexidine using scanning electron microscope: An in vitro study.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of different endodontic irrigants in the removal of smear layer through scanning electron microscopic image analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present in vitro study was carried out on 45 single-rooted extracted human mandibular premolar teeth with single canal and complete root formation. Teeth were randomly assigned to three groups with 15 teeth in each group. Group I samples were irrigated with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) irrigation, Group II with 7% maleic acid irrigation, and Group III with 2% chlorhexidine irrigation. Scanning electron microscope evaluation was done for the assessment of smear layer removal in the coronal, middle, and apical thirds. Comparison of the smear layer removal between the three different groups was done by Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Mann-Whitney U test for comparing individual groups. A P value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Statistically significant difference was seen between the two test groups (17% EDTA vs. 7% maleic acid and 17% EDTA vs. 2% chlorhexidine) in smear layer removal at coronal, middle, and apical thirds of the root canal. The most efficient smear layer removal was seen in Group I with 17% EDTA irrigation compared with other groups (P < 0.05) and the least by 2% chlorhexidine. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that 17% EDTA efficiently removes the smear layer from root canal walls.

Evaluation of Different Bracket's Resistance to Torsional Forces from Archwire.

AIM: The present study was aimed to evaluate the resistance to deformation or fracture of brackets of various materials (ceramic, ceramic reinforced with metal slot, and stainless steel brackets) with archwires during application of torque. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample size included 30 brackets of maxillary right central incisor with slot dimension of 0.022 × 0.028" and made of three materials (10 of each type): (1) Ceramic brackets (cer), (2) ceramic brackets reinforced with stainless steel slot (cer/ss), and (3) stainless steel brackets (metal). Thirty stainless steel archwire segments of 0.019 × 0.025" SS 5 cm in length were used. Elastomeric ties were also used in this study. RESULTS: Highest to lowest deformation or fracture torque found is as follows: Stainless steel brackets (5713.2 gfmm), metal ceramic reinforced with metal slot brackets (4080.8 gfmm), and ceramic brackets (3476 gfmm). CONCLUSION: Stainless steel brackets showed significantly higher values of torsional load than ceramic brackets reinforced with metal slot and ceramic brackets. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Clinically orthodontic treatment is based on specific force applications to the dentition, the maxilla and the mandible. In order to obtain these forces, orthodontic brackets are attached to the teeth. Most commonly used brackets are metal (stainless steel), ceramic, and combination of metal reinforced ceramic brackets. For successful orthodontic treatment, it is necessary to maintain proper torque and avoid torque loss. Torque loss leads to deepening of bite. Torque loss occurs due to many reasons, one of them being bracket failure to withstand applied torque.

Isolation and characterization of a proteinaceous antifungal compound from Lactobacillus plantarum YML007 and its application as a food preservative.

UNLABELLED: Korean kimchi is known for its myriad of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with diverse bioactive compounds. This study was undertaken to isolate an efficient antifungal LAB strain among the isolated kimchi LABs. One thousand and four hundred LABs isolated from different kimchi samples were initially screened against Aspergillus niger. The strain exhibiting the highest antifungal activity was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum YML007 by 16S rRNA sequencing and biochemical assays using API 50 CHL kit. Lact. plantarum YML007 was further screened against Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum and other pathogenic bacteria. The morphological changes during the inhibition were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Preliminary studies on the antifungal compound demonstrated its proteinaceous nature with a molecular weight of 1256·617 Da, analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The biopreservative activity of Lact. plantarum YML007 was evaluated using dried soybeans. Spores of A. niger were observed in the negative control after 15 days of incubation. However, fungal growth was not observed in the soybeans treated with fivefold concentrated cell-free supernatant of Lact. plantarum YML007. The broad activity of Lact. plantarum YML007 against various food spoilage moulds and bacteria suggests its scope as a food preservative. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: After screening 1400 kimchi bacterial isolates, strain Lactobacillus plantarum YML007 was selected with strong antifungal activity against various foodborne pathogens. From the preliminary studies, it was found that the bioactive compound is a low molecular weight novel protein of 1256·617 Da. Biopreservative potential of Lact. plantarum YML007 was demonstrated on soybean grains, and the results point out YML007 as a potent biopreservative having broad antimicrobial activity against various foodborne pathogens.

Evaluation of Leuconostoc mesenteroides YML003 as a probiotic against low-pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) virus in chickens.

AIM: The aims of the study were to isolate anti-H9N2 bacteria from Korean Kimchi isolates and to evaluate its performance in cell line, egg and in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line, 220 bacterial isolates were screened and the isolate YML003 was selected having pronounced antiviral activity against H9N2 virus. This isolate was identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Anti-H9N2 activity of the strain was also evaluated by hemagglutination assay. Leuconostoc mesenteroides YML003 was assessed for its survival in gastric juice and 5% bile acid and the antibiotic susceptibility. Both live and heat-killed cells were selected for in vivo chicken feeding experiment. Body weight, immune index, serobiochemical parameters and splenic IFN-γ production were assessed during selected intervals. Viral population in the trachea and cloacae were calculated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). CONCLUSIONS: Leuconostoc mesenteroides YML003 exhibited anti-H9N2 activity both in in vitro cell line as well as in vivo SPF chickens. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is a primary report on the anti-H9N2 activity by a Leuconostoc strain. Amid the increasing reports of avian influenza virus occurrence resulting in severe losses to the poultry industry, prophylactic administration of such probiotic strains are highly significant.

Bacterial mixture from greenhouse soil as a biocontrol agent against root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, on oriental melon.

The biological control efficacy of a greenhouse soil bacterial mixture of Lactobacillus farraginis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis strains with antinematode activity was evaluated against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Two control groups planted in soil drenched with sterile distilled water or treated with the broadspectrum carbamate pesticide carbofuran were used for comparison. The results suggest that the bacterial mixture is effective as a biocontrol agent against the root-knot nematode.

Nitrification in brackish water recirculating aquaculture system integrated with activated packed bed bioreactor.

Recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) depend on nitrifying biofilters for the maintenance of water quality, increased biosecurity and environmental sustainability. To satisfy these requirements a packed bed bioreactor (PBBR) activated with indigenous nitrifying bacterial consortia has been developed and commercialized for operation under different salinities for instant nitrification in shrimp and prawn hatchery systems. In the present study the nitrification efficiency of the bioreactor was tested in a laboratory level recirculating aquaculture system for the rearing of Penaeus monodon for a period of two months under higher feeding rates and no water exchange. Rapid setting up of nitrification was observed during the operation, as the volumetric total ammonia nitrogen removal rates (VTR) increased with total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) production in the system. The average Volumetric TAN Removal Rates (VTR) at the feeding rate of 160 g/day from 54-60th days of culture was 0.1533+/-0.0045 kg TAN/m(3)/day. The regression between VTR and TAN explained 86% variability in VTR (P<0.001). The laboratory level RAS demonstrated here showed high performance both in terms of shrimp biomass yield and nitrification and environmental quality maintenance. Fluorescent in-situ Hybridization analysis of the reactor biofilm ensured the presence of autotrophic nitrifier groups such as Nitrosococcus mobilis lineage, Nitrobacter spp and phylum Nitrospira, the constituent members present in the original consortia used for activating the reactors. This showed the stability of the consortia on long term operation.

Activated packed bed bioreactor for rapid nitrification in brackish water hatchery systems.

A packed bed bioreactor (PBBR) was developed for rapid establishment of nitrification in brackish water hatchery systems in the tropics. The reactors were activated by immobilizing ammonia-oxidizing (AMONPCU-1) and nitrite-oxidizing (NIONPCU-1) bacterial consortia on polystyrene and low-density polyethylene beads, respectively. Fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrated the presence of autotrophic nitrifiers belong to Nitrosococcus mobilis, lineage of beta ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizer Nitrobacter sp. in the consortia. The activated reactors upon integration to the hatchery system resulted in significant ammonia removal (P < 0.01) culminating to its undetectable levels. Consequently, a significantly higher percent survival of larvae was observed in the larval production systems. With spent water the reactors could establish nitrification with high percentage removal of ammonia (78%), nitrite (79%) and BOD (56%) within 7 days of initiation of the process. PBBR is configured in such a way to minimize the energy requirements for continuous operation by limiting the energy inputs to a single stage pumping of water and aeration to the aeration cells. The PBBR shall enable hatchery systems to operate under closed recirculating mode and pave the way for better water management in the aquaculture industry.

Sero-positivity of brucellosis in human beings.

Two hundred and fifty human serum samples were collected (122 from general population and the rest from people associated with animals) from central Kerala and tested for Brucella agglutinins using various standard tests. The overall seropositivity for brucellosis using all the tests was 1.6%. Among the general population a prevalence of 2.45% was observed and among the veterinary students 1.14%.

Studies on chemical composition and utilization of the wild edible vegetable athalakkai (Momordica tuberosa).

A wild crop of athalakkai was identified, and the major nutrients of its fruits were assessed. South Indian recipes, poriyal, fry, pulikulambu, pickle, and vadagam, were prepared using athalakkai. Product acceptabilities were evaluated by a panel of 10 trained housewives using a 9-point hedonic scale. It was observed that athalakkai contains higher amounts of calcium, potassium, sodium, and vitamin C than bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L). It was also observed that athalakkai had a high crude fiber (6.42 g/100 g) content. The recipes prepared from athalakkai were highly acceptable. This research suggests the need to exploit this wild vegetable commercially through its increased use. However research should be conducted to identify the antinutritional factors and the effect of processing on these factors.

Urodynamic profile after Wertheim's hysterectomy.

Wertheim 's hysterectomy is likely to cause damage to innervation and anatomical support of the lower urinary tract. Urodynamic assessment was done in twenty patients of histopathologically proven cancer cervix who were about to undergo Wertheim's hysterectomy. The study was performed preoperatively, in the immediate postoperative period and six weeks after surgery. Urodynamic study included uroflowmetry, cystometry and urethral pressure profile. Urinary symptoms were also corelated with the urodynamic profile. It was concluded that the bladder was hypertonic in the immediate postoperative period and urethral closure pressures were low. Some regeneration of damaged nerve fibres was found to occur during the 6-8 weeks after surgery resulting in some improvement in sensory and motor functions of the bladder Post operatively continuous catheter drainage appeared to be the most important part of management of hypertonic bladder and the duration was individualised on the basis of urodynamic investigations.

A transform domain SVD filter for suppression of muscle noise artefacts in exercise ECG's.

The proposed filter assumes the noisy electrocardiography (ECG) to be modeled as a signal of deterministic nature, corrupted by additive muscle noise artefact. The muscle noise component is treated to be stationary with known second-order characteristics. Since noise-free ECG is shown to possess a narrow-band structure in discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain and the second-order statistical properties of the additive noise component is preserved due to the orthogonality property of DCT, noise abatement is easily accomplished via subspace decomposition in the transform domain. The subspace decomposition is performed using singular value decomposition (SVD). The order of the transform domain SVD filter required to achieve the desired degree of noise abatement is compared to that of a suboptimal Wiener filter using DCT. Since the Wiener filter assumes both the signal and noise structures to be statistical, with a priori known second-order characteristics, it yields a biased estimate of the ECG beat as compared to the SVD filter for a given value of mean-square error (mse). The filter order required for performing the subspace smoothing is shown to exceed a certain minimal value for which the mse profile of the SVD filter follows the minimum-mean-quare error (mmse) performance warranted by the suboptimal Wiener filter. The effective filter order required for reproducing clinically significant features in the noisy ECG is then set by an upper bound derived by means of a finite precision linear perturbation model. A significant advantage resulting from the application of the proposed SVD filter lies in its ability to perform noise suppression independently on a single lead ECG record with only a limited number of data samples.

Data processing of stress ECGs using discrete cosine transform.

The signal processing steps for the analysis of stress ECGs are aimed at improving the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of recordings in addition to eliminating artifacts due to respiration, movement of arms, etc. In this paper, we bring forth two important applications of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) for noise suppression and removal of baseline wander. The noise suppression algorithm has been framed on the basis of a two step procedure involving singular value decomposition (SVD) smoothing operation in transform domain followed by that in time domain. The mean square error (MSE) resulting from the first step is shown to effectively follow the trend obtained by using an ideal Wiener filter using DCT. In the second step, the degree of closeness to the minimum mean square error (MMSE) of the ideal Wiener filter is improved by subjecting the filtered outputs to a second SVD smoothing operation in time domain. Application of this scheme to noisy records has resulted in near perfect reproduction of the original noise free ECG without significant alterations in its morphological features.